STORY: U.S. immigration agents shot and killed a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis on Saturday (January 24), officials said.

The Department of Homeland Security characterized the incident as an attack, saying a Border Patrol agent fired in self-defense after a man approached with a handgun and violently resisted attempts to disarm him.

But bystander video from the scene verified by Reuters showed the man, identified as 37-year-old Alex Pretti, holding a phone in his hand, not a gun, as he tries to help other protesters who have been pushed to the ground by agents.

In the video several agents take hold of Pretti - who struggles with them - and force him onto his hands and knees. As the agents pin down Pretti, someone shouts what sounds like a warning about the presence of a gun.

Video footage then appears to show one of the agents removing a gun from Pretti and stepping away from the group with it.

Moments later, an officer with a handgun pointed at Pretti's back fires four shots at him in quick succession, footage shows. Several more shots can then be heard as another agent appears to fire at Pretti.

The agents initially all back away from Pretti’s body on the road. Some agents then seem to offer medical assistance to Pretti as he lies on the ground, as other agents keep bystanders back.

Reuters was able to verify the location and date of the video from original file metadata. Buildings, road layout, trees and utility poles which matched file and satellite imagery of the place.

Reuters published the original, unedited video as well as a version cropped, stabilised and slowed down in post-production by Reuters to provide a clear sequence of events.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: EYEWITNESS FOOTAGE SHOWING MOMENT, IN REAL TIME, OF FEDERAL AGENT SHOOTING OF U.S. CITIZEN ALEX PRETTI IN MINNEAPOLIS / STABILISED AND CROPPED SHOT OF MOMENT OF SHOOTING / STABILISED, CROPPED AND SLOW DOWNED SHOT OF MOMENT OF SHOOTING

VERIFICATION:

- Location and date verified by original file metadata

- Buildings, road layout, trees and utility poles that matched file and satellite imagery of the place

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: PART OF THIS EDIT HAS HAD SLOW MOTION, STABILISING EFFECTS AND CROPPING OF THE FRAME ADDED BY REUTERS TO PROVIDE A CLEAR SEQUENCE OF EVENTS. FOR AN UNEDITED VERSION OF THIS VIDEO, PLEASE SEE EDIT 9643-TRUMP-USA/MINNESOTA-SHOOTING-UGC2

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 24, 2026) (VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS - Access All)

1. (ORIGINALLY SHOT IN PORTRAIT) FEDERAL AGENTS WRESTLING U.S. CITIZEN ALEX PRETTI TO THE GROUND / AUDIO OF PERSON SHOUTING (English): “Gun, gun, gun!” / PRETTI FALLS TO GROUND AS SHOTS FIRED / AGENTS BACKING AWAY

2. CROPPED AND STABILISED VERSION OF SHOT 1 SHOWING MOMENT OF SHOOTING

3. CROPPED AND STABILISED SLOW MOTION VERSION OF SHOT 1 SHOWING MOMENT OF SHOOTING

4. (ORIGINALLY SHOT IN PORTRAIT) SLOW MOTION VERSION OF SHOT 1 SHOWING OF MOMENT OF SHOOTING